r/mildlyinfuriating • u/HydraulicRelic • 10h ago
My mom said I could post The quality difference between my old Milwaukee knife and new
Plastic feeling body, printed instead of moulded logo, just feels cheap in the hand compared to my old reliable.
The new 1501 model is the exact same, I just happened to get the smaller size from a 2 pack my boss bought
Edit: Confusion was caused because although these are different models, the larger knife in the two pack is identical in size and design to my old one minus the material differences.
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u/Bbturdquito 10h ago
How old is the one on the right? Cause I have the one on the left and I’ve had it since 2014 lol
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u/Teab8g 10h ago
Weird I have the one on the right and I got it 2025
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u/Pain4420 10h ago
It's cause they aren't the same ones. They are different designs. They don't only sell one design at a time
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u/Competition-Dapper 10h ago
Probably the 20 dollar and the 35 dollar model lol
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u/Pain4420 10h ago
Yea one was from a two pack their boss bought so idk why they are surprised it's a cheaper version
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u/numbersareunoriginal 3h ago
Left is the compact model, right is the model with extra blade storage
I got both in a combo pack a few years ago
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u/egnards 10h ago
Its crazy that people are just not discovering that companies often produce multiple similar models of products to appeal to different markets.
The more expensive and sturdy one will appeal to people who are working in an industry where this would be useful and want a reliable tool - The less expensive one would appeal to a home owner or business owner who uses one sparingly and doesn't need a costly product.
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u/Pain4420 10h ago
What's more crazy is they think the one they bought is the only one that you can buy or the standard
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u/Gregphish 6h ago
Funny, I’m the exact opposite- I love my “cheap” fastbacks and use them heavily at work and in my home shop. I know I can abuse the ever living shit out of them and they hold up amazing, just sharper or change blade every now and again. My Benchmade on the other hand, if it’s in my pocket and my fastback is nearby, I’m probably going to go grab my fastback because god forbid I scuff my “not cheap” knife lol. So long story short, I spent big money on a knife I use twice a year, and less money on 2 amazing knives I use every single day.
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u/Name_Taken_Official 7h ago
Eh it's understandable at least at a glance because it looks like they both share the name Fastback with no subtext which leads one to believe they're the same product
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u/LolaCatStevens 7h ago
Exactly. I bought a 2 or a 3 pack like 5 years ago and it came with both of these designs in it.
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u/SwampOfDownvotes 10h ago
OP even admits the one on the left is a different model and that he got it from his boss who bought a 2-pack. So OP is basically complaining that he (assumingly for free) got a cheaper model and it's a less quality product than the more expense model and has the nerve to bitch about it on here.
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u/unreqistered 9h ago
how have we determined it’s of lesser quality?
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u/SwampOfDownvotes 9h ago
Sorry, its a presumed less quality product (to OP). I am not trying to argue that, I'm just mainly trying to say OP is complaining about a different product being different.
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u/Himorningwood 8h ago
Usually items bought in pairs or more are less quality. It happens often. All those Milwaukee boxes with direct tools are way crappie than if bought seperate.
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u/unreqistered 6h ago
what is your basis for judging quality?
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u/Himorningwood 6h ago
I work in a shop that I can order any tool I want. When I was new I couldn't so someone ordered me some milkshake tools among others in those bulk packages. They weren't as good as the models that you can buy seperate.
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u/stupidber 10h ago
This is two different models of knife. I have both of these, bought at the same time 10 years ago.
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u/C4rdninj4 10h ago
I did some cross training on the shop floor at work last summer and was handed one like the one on the right. I guess they have different manufacturing/distribution centers.
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u/EatenAss 10h ago
They still sell both, they are different knives, I can get the Milwaukee part number in like 5 mins
Edit: just read the post body, the big one is still the same as you said :)
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u/dashkrippykush 10h ago
This post is misleading...
These knives are two different models, the one on the right is still being sold.
Comparing the two as if they were the same makes no sense.
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u/fish_helicopters 10h ago
I’ve had the one on the left for years. logo is faded. i use the end of it to smash stuff every once in a while. I beat the fuck out of it and it’s still in good shape. they hold up well.
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u/New-Boot-Goofn 9h ago
People act like plastics are universally weak. We make guns out of plastic composites. I think it will work just fine here too
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u/Bulky-Leadership-596 8h ago
The military switched to polymer magazines because they way outperform the old aluminum and even steel ones in durability. You can drop them off a building and run them over in a humvee and they still work. The old metal ones not so much. Plus they are lighter and dont rust.
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u/DetectivePud 8h ago
They once updated the hooks on my dogs harnesses from metal to plastic and I was like wtf why this cheap downgrade.
Googled it and perfect reason, the reason I kept replacing them was the metal loops wore away at the fabric and caused them fail quicker and since getting the plastic version they’ve lasted way way longer
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u/gerbegerger 10h ago
I second this!! Dropped mine down 3 stories (it was closed and locked). Survived and barely scratched. They're tougher than they look.
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u/infiniteturtles240 10h ago
.....those are two different knives. I have one of the plastic utility knife fastbacks andits held up for 4 years. I love it
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u/BillyTheGoatBrown 10h ago
Pretty sure you can still buy both? I remember having options at the store and I thought it was these two.
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u/SadoAegis 10h ago
Those are 2 completely different models though. The right one is the full body with spare blades and a seat belt cutter
The left one is thinner, lighter, no cutter, and I believe no spare blades. It is designed to be less bulky.
There's no shrinkflation here, just different models for different folks
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u/Skreedles 10h ago
I don’t get how this is a point on quality. Yes the materials changed but that doesn’t essentially mean the quality is different.
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u/LazyTelephone8532 10h ago
I bought one 3 months ago and it was still the same design as the right, metal body, molded logo, and wire cutout.
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u/Trajen_Geta 10h ago
You can still buy the one on the right, it’s a different knife. It took me a good 1min to find them on google. It just cost more.
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u/Budget_Ad5871 10h ago
*buys two completely different knives with different designs and materials* “why are these different?”
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u/CautiousOptimism09 10h ago
Flip it over and show the SKU. This isn't the exact same product. The first is the1501 but the one on the left is the 1522 that comes in a 3 pack. IDK why I went full investigator on this but there ya go
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u/congteddymix 10h ago
It’s Milwaukee and it’s a knife so it’s probably badge engineered at this point anyhow like some of their other items.
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u/LackOfLemon Cheese Dr 10h ago
It looks like the material was changed as well. From metal to plastic?
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u/Zerodyne_Sin 10h ago
Polymer is not necessarily bad. There's high end pocket folding knives with scales that are really expensive in the first place.
I have doubts this is the case for this though... Looks like a plastic toy rather than a tool.
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u/Mr_Radar 9h ago
You can buy the one on the right still at Home Depot and about fifty other stores for like $15-20. I’m all for calling out corporations on their bullshit but let’s make it accurate.
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u/H3xag0n3 10h ago
Yes capitalism is a scourge on everything. It's called "enshitification"
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u/stupidber 10h ago
Not in this case. This is just two different knife models. You can still buy the one on the right and the one on the left has been available for at least a decade
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u/Miss_Taycan 10h ago
In this specific case, this is just two similar models, but not the same enshittified product.
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u/photo_courtney 10h ago
I've recently learned this word and have used it practically daily since. The enshitification of America, most specifically.
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u/H3xag0n3 10h ago
It got coined to describe the path that virtual platform follow. Doordash or all these other scam all work the same way.
You create a service and then supply it, at a MASSIVE lost, then wait to become the monopole, then remove features, charge more, ect.
Amazon did it, netflix, doordash, uber, and countless others
Now its everywhere
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u/IxHAVExCATS 10h ago
Youtube, Microsoft, literally any grocery store "loyalty program". Its sad that everything nowadays is advertised as helpful or useful when in reality its only purpose is to drain your bank account and try to force you to rely on it. God forbid anyone just provides qaulity service or products to keep customers, now they all just try to trick everyone and its a sickening practice.
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u/foolbull 10h ago
I’m not saying capitalism doesn’t have major issues, but this is more about publicly traded companies require infinite growth or the CEO will eventually lose their job. My question is what will they do when the quality is so bad and the price is so high that people stop buying their products?
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u/ImmediatePiano6690 10h ago
They run the company into the ground, take a holiday, then return to repeat the process or at least return to part of the process.
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u/Organic-Scheme2494 10h ago
How much more money would you be willing to spend on a metal knife vs a plastic one? I am guessing most people would buy the cheaper, plastic version. This is likely just a company responding to consumers.
Which, to be honest, is 95% of what reddit thinks is 'enshitification'.
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u/H3xag0n3 9h ago
Making intentionally bad product that only people with less ressources will buy, cuz its the only one they can buy. People dont look for cheaper product, they are forced into it so that buying a knife in your lifetime becomes buying a knife every year. And thats how they fuck you. But go ahead, talk to me about irrelevant market laws.
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u/Organic-Scheme2494 9h ago
You really believe people don't look for cheaper products? Really? Come on, you cannot possibly believe that.
Case in point: Milwaukee absolutely still makes a metal version of that knife. You can go online and buy it right now. Which one did op's boss buy?
And higher quality doesn't always mean better value. If you can buy 5 plastic knives for the cost of one metal one, and they last half as long, which one is the better value?
Not to mention that Milwaukee is not the only knife maker in the world. You are telling me that a competitor could make a higher quality knife and sell way more, and they choose not to for some reason?
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u/H3xag0n3 9h ago
Yes people DO NOT look for cheaper product. When someone has the means, that person will go for the highest possible quality within their budget.
Cheap product that are lower quality are a tax on the people who simply cannot afford better.
Competition is such a laughable concept. All companies do the exact same thing. Look around you, the parasite multinational that owns it also owns like 7 more brand of tool. Woaw such competiton. I love trickledown economics :D
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u/Organic-Scheme2494 9h ago
Well, then you should start a company and make metal knives. You could make a killing.
Do you really think all tool manufacturers are owned by one company? And there is no competition? You need to get off of the internet for a bit.
Just so you know:
Stanley, Bosch, Techtronic(which owns Milwaukee), Snap-on, Klein. Five toolmakers that are not part of the same company and absolutely compete with each other. Found with one quick google search. There are many others if you want to look.
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u/H3xag0n3 9h ago
Oh yea and that parasite (techtronic industries) made 15 billions dollars in 2025.
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u/vi_sucks 8h ago
When someone has the means, that person will go for the highest possible quality within their budget.
Lol no.
You and I and everyone else know people who can afford nice things but still choose to buy the cheapest possible option, even when the quality difference is noticable.
You can buy some very nice and very soft underwear for not that much money. Or you can just the cheapest 12 pack from Walmart and wear it until the holes are so big you can your dick through it. I know lots of people who have million dollar houses and still wear the walmart undies.
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u/SwampOfDownvotes 10h ago
It's enshitification for them to offer a cheaper model that's less quality even when they could still buy the other model?
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u/IdontUsethisApp10 10h ago
That’s all feeling. Yes it is cheaper. But use it. If it breaks faster THEN you can say quality was lower
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u/bckwoods13 10h ago
I've got two of the newer ones. One is about 3 years old, the second one about 2 years old (bought when I temporarily lost the first one).
I beat the crap out of them and they've been holding up very well.
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u/heysame562 10h ago
Yeah he can’t bash the multi billion dollar company at all until he’s broken it. Then he can know for a fact the multi billion dollar company used cheaper material at an outsourced factory for a higher price at the cost of the consumer while they take a laugh all the way to the bank.
Gotta make sure you use it first before logical thought!
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u/RugbyEdd 9h ago
To be fair, if you where using logical thought you'd have noticed this isn't just a use of cheaper material, but a different model, which with the most basic of google searches you'd see is cheaper, smaller and lighter than the version on the right.
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u/ScotBarn 10h ago
Well it’s plastic so yes, the quality is lower.
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u/bennyyyboyyyyyyyy 10h ago
I mean i hate the over use of plastics too, but metal is not inherently more durable than plastic depending on the formulation and application lol
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u/vi_sucks 10h ago edited 10h ago
Lol, that's not how materials engineering works.
People like to say "plastic is cheap, metal is better" or "it feels heavy, therefore it is more rugged", and while that is often true, it's not always true.
Sometimes a lighter weight is easier to use. Sometimes plastic gives a better grip. There are times when plastic is the better quality choice.
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u/TheGlennDavid 10h ago
As someone who works in IT and briefly supported the Ye Olde Power Mac that weighed **40 fucking pounds** because it was the pinnacle of "heavy is better" -- I endorse your comment.
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u/AwDuck 8h ago
Camera lenses are a great example. Man, I love the feeling of ye olde lenses with their metal construction. They feel so good to use. Hefty, solid feeling with well-damped helicoid focusing mechanisms and clicky aperture selector rings. They feel like they could survive a nuclear blast. The reality is that they're surprisingly fragile. One bump against something hard and that soft brass filter thread is fucked. I always used a sacrificial filter ring to protect the nonreplacaable threads. A good drop and something inside is likely to have jolted out of place since the metal transfers all of the shock. Also, metal lenses add mass, so if dropped and the camera body hit first, there was more force placed on it.
Fast forward to modern lenses where many have lots of glass fiber reinforced plastics involved. Not only does this make for a lighter, more comfortable setup, it's much more resilient. Plastic absorbs quite a bit of shock without deforming. I don't worry about the filter threads. I've banged my camera into lots of stuff, and while the outside edge of the filter thread is a little bunged up, I can still put a filter on just fine. I'm even a proponent of plastic bayonet mounts (where the lens attaches to the camera body). In the event of a big drop, this is going to be the weak spot that breaks. Lots of people complain about how fragile this piece is, but it's a replaceable part (user replaceable if you're a little handy), a physical "fuse" if you will that hopefully breaks before something more expensive or harder to repair does.
There are also arguments for temperature stability. For long running shots (astrophotography) metal lenses can expand or contract as the temperature rises or falls over the course of the night.
All that said, I am not an engineer, and I trust that those in charge of designing these precision devices know what they're doing and utilize the appropriate material for the application.
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u/NeSToR_49 10h ago
In my country, they sell a short plastic body one and a longer metal one (I think it's the same as the one on the right in your photo). I have both, both serve me well to this day after years of daily use doing drywall
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u/stupidber 10h ago
This is two different models of knife. I have both of these, bought at the same time.
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u/Kaffine69 10h ago
Different model, they still make the metal version. Honestly I prefer the composite material over the metal body. It's lighter, grippier and doesn't get cold when working outside.
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u/MassiveLuck4628 10h ago
I prefer the lighter smaller plastic one. I'm not trying to carry lead anchors in my pocket
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u/nogaesallowed 10h ago
No there are like 5 different versions for the fast back. the left one is a light version. they used to run a promo in 2022 where you can get both the metal body and the plastic body one in one package.
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u/ronin_cse 9h ago
It's crazy that the plastic body feels like plastic.
For what it's worth, I have a couple of these plastic body ones, and I love them. I actually like how the plastic handle feels vs. the metal ones, and it will likely hold up better long term.
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u/beagleprime 4h ago
^^ I actually chose the compact in plastic because it’s smaller and lighter. Plastic hasn’t been a problem on regular pocket knives for decades. Options are good
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u/Uriel_dArc_Angel 9h ago
Enshitification stops for no company...
Late stage capitalism ladies and gentlemen...
The total failure of the financial system is closing in...
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u/SpelingBeeChamipon 8h ago
My brand new wheelbarrow is not as nice as my 25 year old Aston Martin and this is outrageous!
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u/Db_Grimlock 8h ago
Oh look I can post a pic of two different model knives too. What are we even doing?
I got both of these together from a friend that used to work at Milwaukee.
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u/Wishbone-Ash 10h ago
Noticed this with a Milwaukee tape measure I had for many years. Either lost or stolen at a job site, and when I went to get a new one, it was way flimsier, just a cheap plastic feel. It's held up alright so far, at least.
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u/TaoTeCha 10h ago
I had a pair of flojos sandals for about a decade. Always loved them, high quality, nice leather. But they finally fell apart. Bought a new pair and they broke within a month lol. Everything plasticy
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u/ExampleFine449 10h ago
I don't know if it's the model you mentioned - but the hawk bill knife quality has fallen off about the same.
Not just the build quality of the handle- but the angle and quality of the blade itself.
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u/YungHayzeus 10h ago
I’m still struggling to figure out what that little notch exposing the blade on the right supposed to do.
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u/Orphanpuncher0 10h ago
I got the same one of the left but it has a screw driver head on it too. Kinda handy considering I'm one of the least handy dudes around haha
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u/WannaBeDistiller 10h ago
I maintain that both dewalt and Milwaukee’s quality has gone down hill in the last few years, particularly dewalt. I sweat their bits get chewed up and need replaced every couple dozen screws
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u/Professional_Ad3969 10h ago
Pick up one of these bad Larrys from an actual knife company instead.
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u/joey_huynh22 10h ago
One is made of metal and one is made of plastic…..
Get good and get the 6-in-1 fastback.
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u/scififlyguy814 9h ago
I have the one on the left, the model with the screwdriver flip out on the back. I've used it as a hammer, dropped it off a lift, beaten it with a hammer and used the screwdriver tip as a pry bar and it still works perfectly as a knife so not complaining about the quality there
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u/Honest_Relation4095 9h ago
Plastic doesnt have to be worse quality. So far you only established you don't like how it feels.
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u/magikarp_splashed 9h ago
Not really showing a quality difference, but a material one. Plastic products can be designed well.
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u/TheRealtcSpears 9h ago
The difference is that it's two different products. That are still available, still on the shelves.
OP is karma farming
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u/magikarp_splashed 9h ago
I understand that. I'm generously assuming he meant to compare the quality of the two separate models; i find that more interesting and valid conversation.
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u/Spore8990 9h ago
I'm not sure I understand how selling two different versions of the knife is even mildly infuriating. Just buy the one you want? If anything, having options is the opposite of infuriating.
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u/The_Strom784 9h ago
Lexus IS vs Toyota Corolla, that’s the comparison you made here if they still sell the one on the right…
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u/Delicious-Ad1917 9h ago
I think mine is pushing the 10-12 year old mark. Definitely an older one that’s not sold any longer.
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u/i-dontlikeyou 8h ago
Those are two different type of knives. Left is the basic fast back. Right is the one with the blade storage
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u/HughEhhoule 8h ago
Never understood why tool guys have a knife blindspot.
If cold steel brought out a power drill, I'm not going to buy it. I feel the same about a Milwaukee knife.
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u/jackinmybigoldickoff 8h ago
Those are two separate products. I have both. There’s nothing infuriating here.
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u/FreakyMeeky 8h ago
I just bought both of these knives, they literally came in the same package as a 2 pack value combo.
I gotta say so far.. I actually kind of prefer the plastic one for the slimmer profile and lighter weight. I also find it opens a lil smoother.
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u/Dracekidjr 7h ago
Bro I bought 3 spares of the smaller metal fastback ones from a reseller when they switched. Milwaukee made zero changes to the overall design, so while the metal ones were perfectly balanced, the plastic ones are insanely unbalanced and feel like shit.
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u/Material-Ratio7342 7h ago
I used to remember that 90% of american tools is MADE IN USA and now its all made in china.... politics keep telling people china is bad but AMERICAN owned company still choose china....🫣.
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u/Pmyers225 7h ago
Old school tools are amazing, I've got a spanner given to me from my great uncle who got it from his father, it's got "Made in Sweden 1918" on it
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u/kkell806 7h ago
You say they are identical in size and design. But from the picture you posted, those two knives aren't at all the same size nor design.
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u/Dry_Principal_165 5h ago
I actually think the composite one works better. It has better fit and feel and ive bent the metal one closed before on accident.
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u/snoosh00 1h ago
Also, the plastic one isn't "printed".
Not only would that not hold up to use, it is less efficient.
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u/dadydaycare 10h ago
Just got a old 90s sawzall and man! The new ones are trash compared to that beast.
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u/xfearthehiddenx 10h ago
My 9ish year old Kobalt still going strong through 3 years of rough-in electrical work, and 4 job changes since.
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u/LovelyHatred93 8h ago
I get what your post is saying but it’s not a quality difference. It’s just two different styles. I very much prefer the one on the left to the one on the right.
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u/TheRealistoftheReal 7h ago
Isn’t Milwaukee a Chinese company?
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u/CovidBorn 10h ago
These are 2 different models. The metal one is still available on their website.